Zay
زAbout the Arabic Letter ز Zay
Zay is a Sun Letter, and it follows the same basic shape of Ra but with a dot on top.
Zay is the counterpart of the English letter Z, so it is pronounced like the Z in "Zoom".
You may also see this spelled as zaay, zain, zayin, zāy, zā.
Zay is only connectable to the letter before (the letter to the right).
Look-alikes
Ra ( ر ) and Zay ( ز ) are twins or shape-mates. They also look a bit like a letter called Wow ( و ).
How to Write the Arabic Letter ز Zay
Most Arabic letters change shape depending on where they appear in a word. Zay only connects to the right, so its isolated and initial forms look the same.
Example Arabic Words with ز Zay (tap to hear)
ز Zay with Tashkeel
Arabic vowels are written as small marks above or below the letter. Tap to hear Zay with each short vowel.
Fatha (a)
Short "a" sound
Damma (u)
Short "u" sound
Kasra (i)
Short "i" sound
Zay is a Sun Letter
Zay is a sun letterSun letters absorb the ل in ال (al-) — the letter's own sound doubles instead. (حرف شمسي). When the definite article ال (al-) comes before Zay, the ل assimilates and is not pronounced separately — the Zay sound doubles instead. For example, ال + ز... is pronounced as az-z...
Key Takeaways: Arabic Letter Zay
- • Zay is written ز and sounds like /z/
- • ArabicQuick mnemonic: think of a Zaytoon (olive) to remember its shape
- • It is a sun letter and only connects to the right
- • It has four forms: isolated, initial, medial, and final